


Pied Piper

by GoringWriting



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-19 03:03:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11888583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoringWriting/pseuds/GoringWriting
Summary: day 1 fairy tale





	Pied Piper

King David of Central Kingdom leans forward in his throne staring down at the young musician kneeling before him. David inspects the musician trying to decide if he might be able to help the kingdom with its rat problem.  
“What’s your name?” David asks and the musician looks up at him and David has to admit that the various beauty marks on the musician’s skin make him look very fetching.  
“The King asked you a question,” Sir West, one of David’s most trusted knights says when the musician takes too long to answer.  
“Hartley Rathaway,” the musician…Hartley… says and there’s a collective intake of breath as the court makes the connection between the musician in front of them and the name of the man who assisted the wizard Harrison Wells with the potion that made many people sick.   
“Tell me why I shouldn’t throw you in the dungeon or have you executed?” David asks as the court wizard Cisco Ramon, and the Scarlet Knight, a knight of unknown origin, join the knights lining the throne room.  
“I was foolish and in love, Harrison told me that the potion would help people, and I believed him. Once I discovered that the potion was going to hurt people not help them I went to Harrison and told him. I thought it had to be a mistake, there’s no way that the man I loved would want to hurt people. When I told, him he had me removed by mercenaries that he had under his employ, when he put the potion in the water and it caused me to experience absurd amounts of pain in my ears, the only time I’m not in pain is when I’m listening to music or playing it. That’s why I became a musician. If you want to punish me for my role in Harrison’s scheme, go ahead. Nothing you can do will ever compare to pain I feel every day when I think about how if I had spoken up earlier maybe I could have prevented what he did to all those people,” Hartley says looking up at David.  
“I like to think myself a fair King and as such I shall leave the decision to the people of Central Kingdom. I shall select twelve people and I will ask for their opinion on whether or not I should pardon you,” David says and has Sir West go into the gathered people and select twelve and brings them before the King.  
“You have heard what he has said in regards to the poisoning of the water way by Harrison Wells. My question to you, is should he be punished for his role in the events and if so what should that punishment be?” David asks and the twelve people lean in close together and begin whispering.   
“We believe that he should punished, and that his punishment should be that he has to remove the rats from Central without any monetary compensation,” they say and Hartley lets out a relieved sigh, he was going to do his best to serve his community anyway.

“So it shall be. Your King thanks you for your service. Hartley Rathaway once you have removed the rats I shall pardon you will have paid your debt and will be free to continue your own pursuits,” David says and Hartley bows to him.  
“Thank you, my King, I appreciate the mercy you have shown me this day. I promise to do all in my power to remove the rats,” Hartley says and heads into town, a flute in his hand.  
“Would you like me to follow him your Highness?” Sir West asks but David shakes his head.  
“No, I wish to follow him myself, there is something interesting about him that I find appealing. I believe that I wish to get to know him better.”  
“Are you sure my King? It might not be safe for you,” Sir West says.  
“I believe that even my grandfather would be able to take him in combat, but I do not believe that it will come to that,” David says and walks to where Hartley is sitting watching the rats sniff around some trash.  
“Why did you not just hire the Green Arrow to shoot them?” Hartley asks.  
“I do not wish them dead. I believe that the rats are simply trying to do what they can to survive, but they may be carrying disease or they may bite children. I have to keep my people safe as well,” David says and Hartley smiles.  
“I was like them once, hungry and doing whatever it took in order for me to survive. Harrison took me in and taught me his craft and I took to it amazingly well. He would tell me constantly that I was the best he’d ever worked with. He made me feel useful, now I know what he was doing was gaining my trust so I would follow him blindly,” Hartley says.  
“But eventually you saw through the lie and you started to question him, and you tried to stop him,” David says.  
“Unfortunately, I didn’t do it soon enough,” Hartley says and pulls out a flute and watches the rats and begins to play his flute and David watches the rat’s ears perk up and their heads turn towards Hartley’s music and Hartley keeps playing louder and louder and more and more of the rats scurry over to the clearing where they are sitting.  
“I just had an interesting idea, there is only one prisoner in the prison right now and that’s Harrison Wells, no one would blame you if you wanted to fill his cell with rats,” David says watching as Hartley mulls over the idea, he wasn’t serious about the offer, but he wanted a little bit more insight to Hartley’s moral code and personality. Finally, Hartley lets the flute drop from his lips.  
“Thank you for the offer you Highness, but knowing Harrison is in a cell, the one place he never wanted to be, is revenge enough for me,” Hartley says and stands and begins to play the flute and the rats follow him through the country side and he walks and walks until he comes to a camp of thieves talking about robbing David’s castle and Hartley sends the rats out and the sea of rats send the thieves running and the rats continue to chase them because food is falling out of their bags. Hartley smiles and begins walking back to Central and tells David what happened.  
“Thank you, you have done a great service for the kingdom and for me and have paid you debt. What do you plan to do now?” David asks.  
“I don’t know, I’ve never just had a moment to step back and appreciate life. First I was trying to survive without a family, and then I was following Harrison to the ends of the world, and then I was running and hiding from knights and from Harrison’s mercenaries. I honestly don’t know what I want to do,” Hartley says and David smiles softly.  
“Well, the Castle is awfully quiet, it could use some music, and I have it on strictest confidence that the King likes you,” King David says and Hartley blushes.  
“Does he really?” Hartley asks and David steps in a little and presses a kiss to Hartley’s lips.  
“Yes, he really does,” David says and leads Hartley to the castle and Hartley smiles and thinks that maybe he’s finally met the right man.


End file.
